


Gen Eds

by pennysparrow



Category: DCU (Comics), Newsies - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Crossover, Don't copy to another site, Gen, Modern Era
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-08
Updated: 2019-01-08
Packaged: 2019-10-06 10:47:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17343908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pennysparrow/pseuds/pennysparrow
Summary: For the prompt "Wait, my lab partner is actually competent?" based off WritingToKeepMySanity's headcanons.





	Gen Eds

**Author's Note:**

  * For [WritingToKeepMySanity](https://archiveofourown.org/users/WritingToKeepMySanity/gifts).



> This is SUPPOSED to be set in Disney's Superhero Newsies AU but since she hasn't written it yet idk if it'll line up lol.

David was a tad bit annoyed when he learned that the score on his AP Bio test never transferred to a credit. He was thoroughly displeased when he found this out his senior year and had to find a way to fulfill the credit. He’d been a straight A student in high school and yes, he was good at math and science and coding, but he  _liked_  history and  _really_  didn’t want to have to sit through Bio I with a bunch of freshmen just to graduate. Especially when the class conflicted with a course analyzing the nihilism of the 1920’s that he desperately wanted to take and was only being offered that semester. He’d had a near screaming match with his adviser trying to get out of being forced into the bio class; to no avail.

So, the first day of the semester David sulked out of the lecture and down the stairs to the lab, sitting in protest in the very back of the room. The TA running their particular section of the lab came in and began writing a list on the whiteboard; obviously copying it from the printout in his hand. David watched as his name was put up next to one ‘Barry Allen’ at the top of the list.

“Ok, so, uh, I’ve listed your assigned lab partners and that’ll also be your seating assignment. So if we could all work those out? This first table will be, um, Barry and, uh, David.” The TA looked at them all expectantly and then there was movement. Somewhere between a mad rush and a shuffle.

Reluctantly, David trudged up to the front of the room and sat next to the blonde. “Hiya, Barry Allen. Nice to meet’cha!” the other boy said brightly, sticking his hand out to shake.

David eyed the guy’s hand suspiciously – his friends were in the habit of spit shaking and he had gotten in the habit of being wary of handshakes – before meeting it with his own. “David Jacobs,” he said tersely.

The other kid, Barry, seemed to shrink slightly, smile dimmed, in the face of David’s coldness. “So first day of classes, yeah? It’s been a whirlwind, but I guess that’s what happens with new things. I’m just lucky I haven’t been late yet. Only been one class though and this right after so there’s still time I guess.”

He was trying so hard to make conversation that David almost felt bad for his attitude. It was nothing against Barry, David was just mad about his situation. He might end up being mad at Barry though too, depended on how this whole lab partners thing panned out.

“I’m guessing you’re a freshman.” David tried to give him a dry smile; he was pretty sure it just ended up a grimace.

Barry chuckled. “That obvious, huh?”

Shrugging, David made a face. He didn’t want to make the kid feel bad, but it looks like he was just spreading his misery. Which really wasn’t fair to Barry.

“So, uh, you’re not a freshman I take it?” Barry tried in the face of the awkward silence that had fallen between them.

“Oh, um yeah. I’m a senior. Apparently, I need this to graduate an no one wanted to tell me my AP score didn’t transfer until it was too late.”

Barry’s mouth pressed into a thin line as he nodded. “Aha.”

“Yeah.”

“Cool.”

David felt like a bobble head as he nodded. Barry turned to face front again, effectively ending the conversation. The awkward and uncomfortable conversation. Around them the class settled as the TA began explaining what they would be doing in the lab over the next semester before starting safety procedures. They were dismissed early and told not to expect it happening again after next week.

“Welp, see ya,” David said awkwardly to Barry as he slung his backpack onto his shoulder.

“Yeah, see ya.”

He hustled from the room, leaving Barry to finish packing up his own books.

Next week came and David took his seat next to Barry again. He gave a weird nod that Barry winced before returning. It was something that Spot did, a jutting out of the chin in acknowledgment of the other person instead of an actual greeting. David obviously wasn’t very good at it and he felt like a bit of a jerk for doing it. Before he could try and apologize though the TA was walking in and already starting to rattle off directions.

They both hopped to it, launching in to getting microscopes and slides and paper towels. By unspoken agreement or pure dumb luck David had gotten the second half of supplies on the list and Barry the first. They started following the instructions from the book, making notes as they went, and easily working together.

Finishing up and putting supplies away David had to admit that maybe this lab wasn’t going to royally suck. He and Barry had worked pretty well together. The realist in David piped up that it was only the first actual lab of the semester and that they were just learning how to use the microscopes so it’s not like it was too terribly difficult anyway.

“Well I’m heading out then,” David said once they’d put everything away.

“Oh, okay. See you later then,” Barry said, looking up from his book-bag.

“Yep, later.”

The following week they were supposed to be doing an actual lab. Again, when they were set loose Barry got the first half of the supplies while David the latter without saying anything. They were doing a plant lab, simple analysis of cells under the microscope mainly that David remembered vaguely from high school.

Barry took the lead with the microscope, setting up the slides with expert precision while David read through the questions they would be expected to answer, making notes of what to look for.

They both stopped at the same time and just kinda looked at each other for a few seconds. Realization slowly dawning on them both.

“You’re pretty good with that,” David observed lamely.

“Uh, yeah. I want to be a forensic scientist, so I ought to know how these things work.” Barry gave him a goofy grin. “You’re not too bad yourself with taking the initiative.”

David looked at the notes he had taken that Barry had motioned to. He returned the other boy’s goofy grin. “Yeah well, I’m pretty type A.”

“Me too!”

“So you’re not going to be dead weight all semester?” David said cautiously; he hoped he wouldn’t offend Barry.

“I hadn’t intended on it,” Barry laughed. “You’re not going to just do the bare minimum to pass?”

“Um no. I’m here under protest, never forget that, but I am here and I will do my work.”

“Well good. Looks like we might end up friends after all, Davey.”

David sighed and then laughed. “Yeah. Since all my friends call me that it looks like we are.”


End file.
